A Strange Form of Entertainment
by SleepingQueen17
Summary: The demigods have failed to stop the Earth Mother from rising. On August 1, Gaea wakes and annihilates civilization. However, with nothing to entertain her but a monster army and a planet full of rubble, Gaea creates the Districts and the Hunger Games. Well, it's a strange form of entertainment...
1. Prologue

**Hi guys!**

**This is my first real fanfic- DON"T YOU DARE HIT THAT BACK BUTTON. Anyway, as I was saying, this is also my first crossover, first PJO, and first HG fanfic. The other one was a T39C fanfic that I took down. Well, enough of my driveling.**

**This chapter is kind of boring, so feel free to skip to the bottom for the recap and wait for my next update. This is just kind of a set the setting, background type chapter. Hence the title Prologue. And my tablet crashed a bunch of times while writing this, so I hope that a few of you will at least go to the lengths to read it.**

**DISCLAIMER: I know you've seen enough of these, but I don't own Radioactive, PJO, or THG**

**WARNING: There will be a bunch of resurrections, because I don't like a lot of OCs.**

**Oh and one last thing- the format of my writing will be A/N, song quote, chapter, song quote from same song, A/N.**

_I'm waking up, I feel it in my bones, enough to make my systems glow_

_Radioactive_

_Imagine Dragons_

_Sacrifices to wake the goddess. August 1st. The dawn of the new age was here._

Gaea could taste the blood on the altar. The tangy smell pervaded the gloom of perpetual sleep, lifting her stony eyelids. Below her, she saw the broken bodies of two demigods, their heads dashed against the porous grey rocks. The blood seeping from the matted blond curls and black locks fed her dry, thirsty lips. Percy Jackson and Annabeth Chase would trouble her no more, and soon neither would her grandchildren.

She emitted a cackle of insane delight, reveling in her power and glory. Simultaneously around the globe earthquakes fissured the ground and volcanoes erupted. Cities were wiped away, and billions of people were decimated. In another moment, the earth opened up to swallow Olympus (the one in New York City _and_ the one in Greece.) And that was that. Civilization was destroyed, the gods were on the nine-day-long journey to her husband's abyss, and Gaea was supreme ruler. And she was inexpressibly bored.

Gaea had expected taking the reins to be exciting, exhilarating. And it was, for the space of about two seconds. But now, everything was all over, and she was just left with a blank canvas and monsters with her amnesty. (She would have gone back on her word, but then she would have been totally alone.) Of course, there were her children, but Gaea wasn't exactly the type of mom to take her kids out for a movie. Not that any theaters had been spared anyway. So now there was a dilemma. Gaea hated to admit it, but it was at least amusing to watch her grandchildren's goings-on when they walked the earth (Yes, she could see when she was asleep.) Gaea racked her brains to remember how the gods entertained themselves. Of course! They played around with the mortals' lives as if they were dolls. And so Gaea knew what would occupy her thoughts for the next eternity. She would come up with a form of human entertainment to rival the gods.

* * *

23 days later, Gaea had her solution. Another problem that had been plaguing her mind was what to do with the demigod population. They couldn't be put in Tartarus with their parents, for that would only serve to form a rebellion plot somewhere down the road. And of course, demigod lives were so much more interesting than those of mere mortals. The obvious choice would have been to reinstate gladiator fights, but that had already been done before. No, Gaea wanted something spectacular. And so the districts were born.

The defeated heroes had been trapped in Camp Half-Blood for nearly a month, awaiting their fate. When it was declared that they would not be killed, hopeful and surprised glances filled the room. Even when it was declared that they would be marched all around North America to various labor camps, there were only a few tearful goodbyes. They were going to be allowed to live, and everyone held Elpis close to their hearts.

Indeed, granting the demigods their lives was part of Gaea's grand scheme of coloring the bleak canvas that earth had become. She envisioned building a gleaming Capitol out of the efforts of her enslaved demigods that would make Olympus or Othrys pale in comparison. Each of the labor camps, or districts, would contribute to the undertaking by playing on the demigods' strength to mine, farm, invent, and create.

District One would provide luxury items. It would be run by the Aphrodite/ Venus spawn, because it is no secret that they would fall all over themselves to get their hands on anything shiny.

District Two would do quarry work, but more importanty house her very own army of white-clad guards and law enforcers. It would be inhabited by the brawny, bloodthirsty Ares/ Mars kids.

District Three would be in charge of creating new technologies so that all her needs would be met with the push of a button or the tap of a screen. The obvious choice for this district was the children of Hephaestus.

_District_ Four would be in charge of fishing. The delectable lightweight meat so foreign to her body made of land would be abundant in her Capitol. Of course, Poseidon's offspring would trap the scaly creatures. But wait- she had just killed off the only demigod son of Poseidon! _It doesn't matter_, she decided resolutely, _I'll just resurrect him, and his girlfriend, too, for that matter. And maybe I'll throw some of my immortal great-grandchildren in the camps as well. And then I'll add mortals to the camp for repopulation._ Satisfied with her solution to the population issue, she returned to chalking out the rest of the districts.

District Five would provide power for all of- What was she going to call her queendom? Pangaea, meaning "all earth" had been done already. How about Pan...em? Just "all." It would be fitting, seeing as Panem would be the only thing that existed on this planet. District five would provide power for all of Panem, and the two children of electricity, along with their previously dead siblings would be responsible for it.

District Six would create transportation methods between districts for her guards and monster-citizens. And the plain choice for its inhabitants would be the offspring of the god of travelers: Hermes/ Mercury.

District Seven would cut down lumber to build the extravagant housing of the Capitol. There was no lumber Olympian, but Gaea only needed an inexhaustible menial labor force. And Artemis' Hunters provided the perfect supply of strong demigods.

District Eight would clothe the Capitol in the finest cloths and silks. The spawn of the pesky weaver, Athena or Minerva, however you wantd to put it, would be put to this task.

District Nine would grow grain, the most basic food crop. Demeter's offspring could handle the job, but they would probably be put to better use growing more tasteful crops. No, Gaea planned on resurrecting the Vestal Virgins, the priestesses of Hestia/Vesta to tend to this most necessary component of the home and hearth: bread.

District Ten would grace the Capitol's tables with succulent meat. Apollo's children would take care of the livestock, since their father had sacred cattle.

District Eleven would be in charge of growing fruits and vegetables- basically anything other than grain. The green-thumbed sons and daughters of Demeter/ Ceres would rise to the occasion well. Dionysus' sons could probably be put n this district to grow wine grapes.

And finally, District Twelve would mine coal for the fifth district to turn into power. Hades' spawn would be stuck in this poorest of districts, because they could navigate tunnels and dark places with ease.

Now, reader, you may ask how this was any form of entertainment at all. Watching kids grow plants isn't the type of world class performances you'd expect from someone who claimed they would surpass gladiator fights. The answer is that Part l of Gaea's plan didn't amuse her in the slightest, but she needed someone to build her Capitol. After getting bored of the sadistic pleasure she got from seeing children work themselves to death, Gaea established Part 2 of her plan. She started a type of tournament where two children from each district would gather in a themed arena to fight to the death. Only one victor would remain, to taunt the other districts. (This setup was painfully similar to gladiator fights, but Gaea pointedly ignored that.)

And so, the newly-dubbed Hunger Games (Gaea was hungry at the time) were born.

_Welcome to the new age, to the new age_

_Radioactive_

_Imagine Dragone_

**Thank you for those who read that. Here's a cookie. (::) For those of you who didn't: :P**

**Here's the recap. Gaea woke up, the demigods lost. As a form of entertainment, she creates the Hunger Games (Yes, the story takes place during the very first Hunger Games) and the tributes will mostly be demigods we know. The demigods are divided into districts by parentage. Go check out the list of district parentages earlier on the page, I'm too lazy and pressed for time to type it again. So yeah, I would prefer if you reviewed, and **

**I LOVE CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM!**

** Sorry, I had to put that in caps for those of you who decided to skip this author's note. Ciao!**

**Also, thank you very much to LoopyToucan, who Betaed this story. (But there weren't too many mistakes, because I'm awesome, right LT?) And you should totally check out her Harry Potter and Hunger Games fanfics(no, I'm not being paid to advertise) because they are actually somewhat grammatically correct (my pet peeve). I especially like her "I Wasn't Always" Bellatrix story. Anyway, enough fawning. Byezzzzzzzzzzz.**


	2. Chapter 1- Annabeth and The Announcement

**I'm figuring that until school starts (two more weeks), I will probably get to keep my updates semi-frequent, like every 2-3 days. Anyway, since a few of you PMed me about Percy and Annabeth's death, I decided to give you an Annabeth chapter. Also, I don't really want to do every tribute's POV, so I've hand-picked a few of our favorites to tell the story. And yes, I'm starting with the cliche dream start, but I wanted to add a few extra words instead of starting with the even-more-cliche waking up out of a nightmare start.**

_"So it's over_

_This time, I know, it's gone_

_Salt water_

_I've tasted it too long_

_I only know I'm wrong_

_I only know it's gone_

_Up in flames"_

_Up in Flames_

_Coldplay_

_Annabeth and Percy were at Fireworks Beach. Laying her head on his lap, Annabeth stared up at the vivid infernos of color trekking across the night sky. Percy's fingers casually fiddled with her hair as he, too, watched mesmerized at the displays above him. The campers were scattered along the length of the sand, relaxing, laughing, talking. It was home. _

_Suddenly, a tremor shook the beach and everything went wrong. The sea came up to surround the couple, but it felt unforgiving and powerful, unlike the gentle lulls of the calm waves that Percy created. Before she knew it, her boyfriend had been ripped from her, and her wild grasps at his slick hand were futile. Starting from her ankle, she felt ropes ensnare her. No- not ropes: spider silk! Annabeth looked madly around and saw that the campers were all dead and floating bloody among the waves. A fissure opened up underneath her, and by the strong, sinister pull, Annabeth knew she was going to Tartarus again. But this time, there would be no Percy to watch her back. The last glimpse of the sky Annabeth got was not of peaceful stars, but of bronze cannonshells that had had replaced the previously innocuous explosions. And below her was not Arachne's face, but Gaea's laughing villainously._

Annabeth awoke with a start, choking on the mangled screams in her throat. Salty tears dripped down her cheeks and the bridge of her nose, running into her mouth. The saline taste reminded her of Percy's lips when he kissed her, and she shuddered and started a new succession of heartbroken sobs. It was a vicious cycle, really. Why couldn't Gaea have just left her dead? At least then she and Percy could have been together in Elysium. Did Elysium even exist anymore, now that Hades was powerless?

At her side, Reyna smoothed Annabeth's blonde mane of tangles and dirt while doing her best to comfort the broken girl. To be honest, she wasn't making much progress, but Annabeth wouldn't allow anyone else to go near her. Even though everyone assumed that Reyna was stone-cold and had never loved, Annabeth knew that out of all the people in the room, only Reyna had experienced the true loss of a beloved as wrenching as Annabeth's separation from Percy. First, she had lost her home, then Hylla, then Jason, and then been denied by Percy...how was _she_ able to keep it together?

"Shhh, it's alright, you'll get through this. You did it before," Reyna soothes. _How _did _I manage this before?_Annabeth wondered. How did she survive six months when now she couldn't get through a week?

"H-he promised. As long as we're together. As long as we're together," it was the mantra that Annabeth kept saying, when she would say anything at all. But they _weren't_ together. Gaea had taken him away forever. She had taken him to who knows where, to be her slave for eternity in some fishing village. She laid her head on Reyna's shoulder and renewed her downpour of silent tears. Reyna squeezed her hand gently, worried that the mind of the once-brilliant strategist had finally cracked.

"He's okay, you're okay. Shhh. Just go to sleep." Annabeth puffed out a breath and lay still. At least she could be with Percy in her dreams, even if they were being tortured in Tartarus. Reyna felt herself crumble a little inside when she watched the daughter of Athena. She swore it was just like seeing somebody take their last breath. Her friend had lost the will to live. The spark of life in her eyes was already gone.

* * *

When Reyna awoke for work the next morning, Annabeth was already awake. She wasn't crying, which was a good thing, but she had an apathetic zombie look to her. Her face had a grey pallor, and her beautiful grey eyes looked like glassy, dead lightbulbs. Reyna smiled softly at her and did her best to braid the limp strands drooping off of Annabeth's head, just like she had once done five years ago at Circe's Spa. Oh, how that twelve year old so full of fight had grown into such a defeated, lifeless husk, she had no idea. Inside, Reyna was secretly glad that she did not depend on anyone as wholly as Annabeth relied on Percy.

At six o'clock, they headed towards the large textile factory that had somehow been built in less than a day. Reyna had no idea what she was doing in the textile industry. Her mother was Bellona, a sort of Roman version of Athena, but Minerva was the one with the weaving skills! Reyna belonged in District two with the Mars kids, but since here at least she could try to help Annabeth, she didn't complain. Instead, she just tried to revive Annabeth by getting her to teach. Reyna was a quick learner, but she would never be nearly as good as the true Athena/Minerva kids. Their hands worked deftly, shooting the shuttle across the board, cutting a thread here, knotting one there, dropping one there. Meanwhile, Reyna just tried her hardest not to tangle the threads beyond repair.

Reyna had just positioned herself by a loom when the ground started rumbling and a voice not unlike Rachel's Oracle voice resonated throughout the room.

_Come Outside._

Of course, everyone knew who it was. Annabeth visibly clenched her teeth and fists in anger, but followed everyone else out the door. Gaea's hated face was speaking through the packed dirt road, but this time her eyes were open. They were a silty swirl of mysterious emotions that made Reyna dizzy whenever she looked at them.

_I have come to proclaim a new decree. _

For a second there, Reyna almost laughed. For a moment all she could see was Professor Umbridge's pinched face rippling the earth instead of Gaea's monstrous one. That's right-don't look so shocked. Reyna found time for movies just like any other she sobered up, because she didn't plan on getting blasted to shreds so soon. Then who would take care of Annabeth?

_As a punishment for your role against me in the Giants War..._

Punishment? Hadn't they been punished enough by being forced to leave their kin and slave away to death? No, they couldn't even find solace in death because of the very real possibility that Gaea would just resurrect them again!

_Two demigods from each District will be randomly chosen and sent to fight to the death in an Arena of my own design. There will be only one victor, who will rain wealth upon their district for twelve months, until the Hunger Games begin again next year._

All of District Eight stood silent, trying to process this new torture sentence. Was Gaea really planning to murder 23 of her workers every year? And then probably resurrect half of them, but still! Gaea's face morphed back into the flat dirt of the path to leave the crowd to ruminate on her declaration. Reyna flitted a glance a Annabeth, worried about how the unstable girl would take the news, but to her surprise Annabeth looked more anchored than she had seen her in the past week. It might have been the glare of the unrelenting sun, but Reyna thought that she saw those dead eyes flare up again.

"What is it?"

"I'm going to see Percy again."

"What do you mean?"

"I'll see him. In the arena."

"What are you talking about? How do you know who's going to get picked?"

"Percy's the only one in District four. And I'll volunteer to go."

"Gaea won't let you. _I _won't let you."

"I'll volunteer," Annabeth repeated firmly.

"Have you finally lost your mind?

"Probably." And then softer, "I'm going to see Percy again."

Shaking her head, Reyna led Annabeth back to the factory.

* * *

That night, Annabeth practiced all her old dagger strikes with a stick. Against some invisible enemy, she slashed and whirled across the dirt. Her eyes gleamed once more with hope, and her limbs moved with the replenished energy you get from eating for the first time in three days. Oh, she knew she was going to die. But with no on to rule over the souls, didn't it mean that she would sink into a peaceful oblivion instead of a Percy-less hell? Annabeth hoped so. Either way, she was going to see Percy again. She would give anything just to see him again, even face the prospect of never seeing him again. She would savor each moment together in that arena, and when they finally died, together, she would be ready to let go.

_"So it's over_

_This time, you're flying home"_

_Up in Flames_

_Coldplay_

**Whoo. Done with another chapter. I want to get to the Games already! Then I can stop all this already-done-before business!**

** I'm thinking of doing this story in parts. Not like separate-stories-parts, but like Part One, Part Two partsThe first one will be mostly in Percabeth's POV and the other one(s) will be in some other tribute's POVs, probably my OCs the Vestal Virgins and some other already familiar characters. I don't know, I want to try out those characters because historically, they're pretty cool- like Zoe Nightshades, almost. So tell me what you think of that idea.**

**I don't _really_ like how this chapter turned out. I guess I'm not that great at blending emotions with events. I do more of a snapshot-type portrayal pretty well, but then I don't move the story along, so you guys have to deal with writing like this. Ugh. Anyway, tips and suggestions are most welcome, even in the form of mini-flames. (Just don't become all Leo and chuck fireballs at me.)**

**So yeah, there'll be this, and then probably a mashup of 5 mini-reapings. There might be interviews, but the chariot rides won't be all spectacular with the costumes. Remember, these are the FIRST Hunger Games. And then, on to the action! There will definitely be romances and alliances, most of which are preordained. I might put up a poll of who you want to win, but I'll probably just disregard everything, so...MWAHAHA.**

**And here are a few questions:**

**1) Favorite sentence in this chapter?**

**2) Least favorite sentence in this chapter?**

**3) Favorite PJO quote?**

**4) What do you think of my POV parts idea (see above)?**

**5) And for the trivia- What was the name of the man who fell in love with a statue that he had created?**

**l**

**l**

**l**

**l**

**l**

**V**

**REVIEW!**


	3. Chapter 2- The Reapings

**Hi guys,**

**So before you attack me for not updating sooner, I HAVE EXCUSES! First, I had a two-day orientation at my new school, and then I was on vacation. And then, I was sick. I didn't really want to post an author's note just to say I wouldn't be writing, because I figure those are**** even more annoying than going MIA for like two weeks. This chapter is almost double the usual size, for compensation.**

**And WOOHOO! Stop SOPA got enough signatures, so we can continue to fanfiction!**

**And now, the chapter:**

_"Somewhere up above the stars_

_The wreckage of a universe floats past_

_Somewhere up above my heart_

_A tiny little seed is sown, a government is overthrown_

_Who knows when we'll be coming home at last?"_

_Moving to Mars_

_Coldplay_

Nico DiAngelo stood, scowling at the entrance to the mine tunnel. Hazel had just finished excavating it yesterday with some help from his undead skeletons. The siblings were supposed to venture down there each day with pickaxes and headlamps, searching for veins of coal (were they even called veins? Nico didn't know the first thing about coal mining). But the Son of Hades wouldn't set foot inside the lightless pit. He'd had a bit of an issue with lightless pits ever since Tartarus. Each night the nightmares would come, freezing his body and stealing his breath so that one night he had accidentally put himself into a death trance. Then Gaea had sent him an earthquake to jolt him out of bed and remind him that there was work to be done.

Except today, she had given all the Districts a day off. Her monster television crew was going around and installing TVs, cameras, sound systems, and stages in preparation for what she called the Hunger Games. Nico didn't really understand why she bothered going to such lengths about District 12. Everyone knew that Nico, Hazel, and Bianca were the only children of Hades. Ever. The Furies were called Hades' daughters sometimes, but they were more likely to blow up the mines than excavate coal. And Bianca was in District 7 with the Hunters of Artemis.

Queen Dirt Face had already stopped by to explain the procedure of the Games. Later, Alcyoneus would arrive to take them to Gaea's "Capitol." The city hadn't been built yet, so the first Hunger Games would be hosted in Athens. The demigod tributes would be paraded around in battle armor on chariots designed to reflect their parentage, much like the chariot races back at Camp Half Blood. Then, tributes would be rated on their fighting skills, and plopped in an arena to fight to the death. The monster audience, who would be betting on the winner, would never know the tributes as more than a face and a number. Well, most of the tributes, anyway. The demigods of the prophecy had more than their share of unpopularity amongst the monster masses.

Nico resumed scowling and went to get ready for the Reaping.

* * *

Percy Jackson had never found another person's company so excruciating. He was sitting on the fishing pier with three of his brothers. On his right, Tyson kept replenishing the ocean by leaking buckets of tears out of his calf brown eye. For the past two weeks, he had been moaning about how much he missed Ella, and Annabeth, and PEANUT BUTTER! Triton was on Percy's left, muttering about how he wished Tyson would shut up (unfortunately, Percy agreed), and how if Percy had just helped more during the war, and NOT gotten himself killed, he wouldn't be in this situation (as if Percy _wanted _to get his brains bashed open?). Chrysaor was in front of Percy, giving them all a great view of his Mommy Mask. He didn't say anything, but he kept fiddling with the golden gorgon's head and shooting violent looks in Percy's direction. After a while, Percy couldn't stand it and he walked back to the barracks.

Don't get him wrong; Percy was definitely a people person. But he hadn't seen Annabeth for two weeks, and this time he had full memory of what he had lost, what they had been through. He wanted _her _company, not that of a bunch of whiny boys. Percy was trying to be stoic about the whole thing, but even he couldn't help being a little crabby. He laid down on his bed closed his eyes, imagining Wise Girl as he had last seen her. Percy wasn't able to bring any photos of Annabeth to this hellhole, so it was the best he could do.

He pictured the desperate look in her eye, her fingers outstretched towards him. Her blonde hair inlaid with rubble and dirt. His name on her lips, her bleeding lips parted in a scream. Her skin, pale and torn. Her limbs still rigid with fight. **(A/N- That is not a typo)**

Percy opened his eyes and realized he was shuddering. He tried to think of Annabeth in happier times- her golden halo of curls floating in the canoe lake, the glint in her eyes as sharp as her dagger when they were sword fighting- but that last image would not leave his eyes. It reminded him of when Chrysaor had disarmed him so easily on the Argo II; Percy had been powerless. Just as he was now.

He decided to get ready for the Reaping, which was in an hour. Gaea had presented a package of formal clothes to each demigod for the sole purpose of wearing it to the Reaping. The other sons of Poseidon would probably get ready later, so Percy should easily be able to avoid them if he was already dressed.

In twenty awkward minutes, Percy was distastefully looking at himself in a mirror. He was wearing a bluish-black tuxedo, with a pressed white shirt and a pastel blue bowtie embroidered in golden shrimp. The outfit was complete with a cummerbund and cufflinks, and Percy was proud that he was actually able to wear it without his mom's help. He knew some guys complained about looking stupid in a regular suit and tie, but _this_? This was ridiculous.

(fast forward to the Reaping)

Percy, Tyson, Triton, and Chrysaor stood as a small island of people who knew eachother in a vast ocean of unfamiliar faces. Percy knew that his father had had a lot of sons, but Poseidon had been _busy_ over the last 3,000 years. A thousand resurrected demigods milled around in front of a richly draped podium. The clearing of a throat at the microphone brought everyone to attention.

"Hello, sea spawn," Polybotes grinned at the crowd. "Welcome to the very first Hunger Games! We will now commence to randomly pick two members in the crowd to compete to the death in an arena, which will be themed. I don't know what the theme is. Once they are both picked, I will take volunteers to take the place of the chosen tributes. Oh, and may the odds be ever in your favor. It's something mom made me say, but I guess they really are in your favor, aren't they?" Polybotes took in the multiple hundred people in front of him. He plunged both his hands into a human-sized glass bowl and took out two slips of paper. "Your tributes this year are Lykos and Pelias." Suddenly, he cocked his head sideways and listened to his earpiece. "Sorry, mother would like me to take out one slip at a time. More dramatic, see? Pelias, back to the bowl you go. Lykos, please make your way to the podium."

Two men made their way to the podium, trying to push past the throngs of half-bloods. A murmur began to arise across the crowd. Why were there two people coming forward when only one name had been called?

"Pelias, you may sit down. I only need Lykos at the podium."

"I am Lykos," both men said in unison.

" Two Lykoses? I didn't think it was a common name. Well, I guess we'll pick-"

"It doesn't matter," Percy spoke up, "I volunteer for Lykos." Percy didn't want any of these men to experience death , especially after just escaping it a few weeks ago.

Barely concealed anger edged Polybotes' voice as he recognised the sound of his most recent adversary ," Percy Jackson, I thought I made it clear that volunteers could step forward only after both tributes had been chosen?"

"Well, yeah, but I was just trying to save time."

"No matter! Get up on the stage! I will enjoy watching your death." Polybotes' hand once more explored the bowl, and a second blue tinted rectangle came out. "For the second tribute, I give you Nireus."

"I volunteer." The declaration came from the same patch of faces where Percy was just standing a moment earlier. The speaker turned out to beTriton. "I can't let Percy steal all the glory, can I?"

* * *

Annabeth was bouncing on her toes at the Reaping, waiting impatiently for Enceladus to start the Reaping. Reyna kept looking at her quizzically, wondering if she had gone crazy. She probably had, considering she had been stuffed into fancy clothes and forced to wait for hours with nothing to do but anticipate. She was wearing a Greek-style evening dress with silver embellishments, which was comfortable enough, but she was also wearing strappy silver high heels, which were killing her. Of course, she had had to get her makeup done, which no one in the District ever bothered to learn how to do, except for Reyna, who had once worked at a spa. So Reyna's nerves were frazzled from fulfilling all of the requests, and she was in no mood to deal with Crazy Annabeth. Finally, after nearly two hours of waiting, Enceladus took the stage.

"So, Happy Hunger Games, and all that. You know what I'm here for, so let's just get this over with. You may only volunteer as tribute after both contestants have been chosen. First we have... Malcolm Alden. And second...Alexandria Frode"

"Ivolunteerastribute," the words were out of her mouth so fast that she scarcely registered saying them. Everyone in the Square gasped. Oh well, no going back now. Composing herself, she repeated, "I volunteer as tribute for Malcolm Alden."

"Very well. We have our first volunteer!" Enceladus looked at Annabeth weirdly, wondering why on earth anyone would so eagerly sign up for a death wish.

"I, too, volunteer as tribute for Alexandria Frode," Reyna enunciated clearly over the rising noise of the crowd. Trying and failing to block out their panicked shouts, Reyna concentrated on putting one wobbly, high-heeled foot i front of the other and not tripping over the hem of her dress on the way to the podium. Annabeth shot her a searching glance, but she merely passed it off with a pained smile. The assembly of half-bloods was frenetic now, refusing to believe that two of their leaders were being taken away, just like that.

"Alright. Shake hands, you two," Enceladus hurriedly concluded the ceremony with a horrid smile and a wave of his hand at the cameras. "Off to the Capitol we go."

* * *

Piper McLean was furious. She was dressed in the same stupid outfit that she had (unwillingly) been put into the night she was claimed. Right down to the understated yet overloaded makeup. And Jason wasn't there to make her feel any better.

Piper hated herself for it, but she somehow wasn't affected too much by the fact that Jason had disappeared from her life. She was nowhere near to feeling what Annabeth felt like for six months when Percy was gone. She was nowhere near covering up her shattered inside with a tough outside. She was fine inside and out. She hadn't even cried _once_. What was wrong with her?

Was it the painful fact that their relationship had gone absolutely nowhere despite she being a daughter of Aphrodite? It was true. She remembered that day on the Argo II when she had felt jealous of Annabeth's comfortable relationship with Percy. They were practically married already, minus the ring. Meanwhile, Jason and Piper were always frustratingly awkward around eachother, never opening up to one another. They barely kissed, afraid of going any farther than Jason calling her, "my awesome girlfriend, Piper." Gods, she missed_ Leo _more than Jason, what with his ability to break up any tense situations with his classic Leo-style humor. She missed _Percy_ more than Jason; he was always twice the leader that Jason ever was. In short, if Jason's and her position had been swapped with Annabeth's and Percy's, Piper was not sure she would have looked for her "love" past the first month. And that would only be because Camp needed him. Jason leaving would actually be the perfect, albeit cowardly, solution to her love problems. Gods, she really was a stone-hearted Aphrodite girl.

"Ahem. Let the First Annual Hunger Games begin!" Clytius addressed the children of Aphrodite and Hecate. **(A/N Hecate is in District One as well, because being the offspring of the goddess of magic, they can craft fine and delicate things.) **"I will now select two tributes who will eventually fight to death in an arena." With a wave of the giant's hand, a silvery black jar materialized on the stage. Clytius closed and opened his fist, and the jar exploded into whirling wisps of charred paper, save two shining red ribbons in the center of the tornado. Grabbing the two ribbons, Clytius read out the names. "Piper McLean and Lyra Oberon."

Piper stood frozen in shock. This was rigged. It had to be rigged. How else could one of the seven just happen to make it into the Hunger Games? Suddenly, she was aware that people were nudging her towards the stage. She slowly began moving the numb wooden blocks that were her legs, praying to the now nonexistent gods to save her from this fate. Strangely, what sent her spiralling into fear wasn't the idea of being pitted against 23 other people to the death. It was the thought of probably seeing Jason again. And then Clytius was speaking. Piper managed to catch something about Volunteers, before getting distracted by the large amount of people staring at her.

"I volunteer as tribute," a tall, willowy girl with hazelnut hair and blue-grey eyes spoke up. Piper allowed herself to get her hopes up before hearing the rest of it. "I will stand for Lyra Oberon." Piper allowed herself to glare at the girl who had just volunteered. By her beauty, she was definitely Aphrodite. So why hadn't she volunteered for Piper?

"Very well. Silena Beauregard, please make your way to the stage," Clytius intoned. _Silena Beauregard? That's the name of the Titan Spy, _Piper thought. _No wonder I hate her so much._

* * *

Jason Grace stood next to his sister, Thalia, while simultaneously praying and listening to Porphyrion. He knew that praying was futile now, but he couldn't think of anything else he could do. Anyway, it was better than hearing Porphyrion exaggerate the grisly manner in which 23 demigods would soon die. And praying had to count for something, right? Because Thalia had been moved to District 5 even though she technically belonged in 7 with the Hunters. Though Jason thought that might just be because Thalia was so good at producing voltage.

"...beheading, at least it's a quicker death than disembowelment. So now, we shall pick our unlucky tributes." Porphyrion finished his speech, stuck his hand into a glass jar, and pulled out a slip of paper. "Keroessa." Another slip of paper was pulled out. "Amphion. Please make your way to the stage. Any volunteers, speak now."

Thalia nudged Jason, "We should volunteer. We have a better shot at winning than they do."

Bewildered, he replied, "No! Are you crazy? We'll be killed for some people we don't even know!"

"Okay, I understand," Thalia said.

"Really?"

"No. But I'm volunteering anyway. That girl is frightened out of her mind." And then louder, so everyone could hear, "I volunteer in place of Keroessa." As Thalia took her place next to Porphyrion, she gave Jason one last glance full of sadness, disappointment, and contempt.

_"And I heard it on the radio..._

_I heard it on a TV show..._

_We won't see the Earth again..._

_We're meeting for the first time_

_We might never meet again, you and me..._

_They'll be tearing us apart"_

_Moving to Mars_

_Coldplay_

**Was that enough of a compensation? This chapter is like 3,000 words long! And isn't Moving to Mars the perfect Hunger Games song? It's way better fitting than Atlas, that's for sure. There's even this whole countdown section, like when they're waiting by the Cornucopia.**

**I also wanted to give a heads up: I am starting school. A very workaholic, magnet school. So don't be surprised if updates drop to once a month, or something like that. Whenever I do update, it will be a long chapter. And I will try to squeeze in multiple chapters during breaks. But I really want to be able to sleep before 4AM each morning, so regular FF is kind of out of the question. Sorry!**

**And also, only one chapter left before the Games! The next chapter will be a mishmosh of chariot rides, private sessions, transportation, and entering the tubes. No train ride chappies or interviews because a) this is the FIRST Hunger Games, they still have to evolve a lot and b) I really want to move this story along.**

**So, again, constructive criticism. I know this may not be my best chapter, and I want brutally honest criticism.**

**See you in October.**

**~SleepingQueen17**


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